Second-level teachers who are members of ASTI will engage in further industrial action and potentially stage more strikes if settlement proposals aimed at resolving a series of grievances are rejected in a forthcoming ballot.
In a note to the union’s 18,000 members on Friday, ASTI said this would include an orderly withdrawal from supervision and substitution duties in schools, while members would continue to refuse to work the 33 additional non-teaching hours originally agreed as part of the 2010 Croke Park public service agreement.
ASTI said it may be necessary in such circumstances for its members to continue carrying out supervision and substitution duties for a period of time to ensure schools do not close down, as happened when its members ceased to perform such tasks for a time in November.
The union said its leadershiphad also decided that if members rejected the new settlement proposals its current directive banning co-operation with junior cycle reform would remain in place.
In the event of rejection, members would also be balloted to withdraw co-operation with other initiatives in schools, which would determined by the ASTI standing committee or central executive.
Hundreds of second-level schools closed for a number of days in November due to disputes over a series of issues, including new-entrant pay.
Settlement proposals were drawn up before Christmas which sought to deal with various issues such as as new-entrant pay, junior cycle reform and the overall Lansdowne Road public service agreement. However, the union leadership has urged members to reject these proposals in a vote which will take place over the coming week or so.
